Poisoned Interests
by Jewelbox1322
Summary: Lucas and Kristin go to a marine biology conference and visit an old colleague of Kristin's who is involved with octopus research. Things quickly take a turn for the worse. Season 1 story.
1. Chapter 1

Poisoned Interests

Chapter 1

Lucas Wolenczak finished packing his small dufflebag and zipped it up, placing the long strap over his shoulder as he walked to the door of his cabin. He grabbed the briefcase he had placed there with his laptop and made his way to MedBay.

Dr. Kristin Westphalen leaned back in her chair and released a big breath as she dropped the stack of papers she had been reviewing for the last 3 hours. She took another sip of coffee and glanced at her watch. _The launch leaves in 15 minutes. _She took her glasses of and rubbed her eyes, grateful for the break. _I should check on Lucas._

She placed the papers in her briefcase along with her laptop and grabbed the small suitcase she had packed earlier as she walked out of her office. Lucas was just outside with his own duffle bag and briefcase. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hey Lucas, are you ready to get going?"

He eagerly smiled back. "Yeah, Doc. I'm looking forward to it."

"I know what you mean. After a few months it's nice to have a change of scenery. I don't know about you, but I'm _especially_ looking forward to seeing the sun. Plus, I haven't seen Dr. Blackwell in a while. It was a nice coincidence his lab was near the conference hotel. "

"Well, thanks again for pulling strings and taking me. I thought about taking leave this week but my parents, well...they didn't return my calls and...I just..." he drifted off awkwardly, not wanting to really go into much detail about the fact that his parents weren't home and wouldn't make time to be with him.

Kristin sensed his disappointment and gave him a sympathetic hug and smile, putting her hand lovingly on his cheek. "Listen to me, Lucas, I am absolutely _thrilled_ that you are coming with me. There will be a lot of wonderful speakers and possible networking opportunities for you. And Doctor Blackwell was extremely impressed with your resume when I told him you would be coming with me. I didn't have to pull too hard to get you on this. You _earned_ it." She winked at him approvingly and gave him a reassuring hug. "Now, let's go get on that launch."

They walked to Launch bay, where Captain Nathan Bridger was waiting for them, along with Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Nathan wanted to be there to send them off.

Kristin smiled and looked at Lucas before looking back at Nathan and nodding. "Of course, Captain."

"Good. I know both of you will gain a lot out of this conference." He looked straight at Lucas. "And _you_ make sure you listen to what Dr. Westphalen says and be on your best behavior."

Lucas rolled his eyes and Kristin interrupted. "Nathan, it will only be a three-day conference. We have rooms on the same floor at the hotel and Dr. Blackwell is meeting us at the laboratory today to show us around and see if we can sign up for a collaborative project. Lucas will be too busy being a smarty-pants with me to get in any trouble. Isn't that right, Lucas?" She smiled with a wink, and he smiled back.

Nathan appreciated her reassuring statement. "I suppose, of all the _adults _on this boat, you're odds of stellar behavior are higher with Kristin than with Krieg." He gave a pointed look to Ben who had just stuck his head out of the launch sub's docking collar, oblivious to the conversation.

"MR-5 is ready to go, guys." He looked at the trio smiling at him innocently and, for a split second, he wondered what they had just discussed. Thinking better of it, he cleared his throat and went back into the sub.

Lucas spoke up, wanting to end the discussion and get out as soon as possible. "I guess that's our cue. Don't worry, Captain. I'm just grateful to get a few days of sunshine, even if it _is_ to discuss the life cycle of cephalopods." He smiled and climbed into the sub.

As Kristin started her climb after Lucas, she looked back at Nathan.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him."

"Just make sure he doesn't order hundreds of dollars worth of ice cream through room service on the UEO's dime."

She giggled lightly and stopped her descent. "Oh, I don't know if I can promise that...this is the first time in a long while that we'll be all alone in our own spaciousand_ private_ rooms, with a chance for a nice, _long_, hot bubble bath, and the ability to stretch out in a big, _fluffy,_ comfortable hotel bed. Come to think of it, I might even order some whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry to top off all that ice cream, _Captain_." She winked at him with a smile before she finished her descent into the launch, leaving Nathan staring wide-eyed in shock at the now-closed hatch, wondering if she meant to paint a distracting mental picture for him. He looked at his watch. Perhaps a cold shower before the start of his shift was in order.

_MarVista Laboratory:_

Kristin, Lucas and Krieg stepped off of the launch and were met by a team of several scientists at the aquarium. One older, heavy-set gentleman in a lab coat and grey-speckled brown hair stood in front of the rest to welcome them.

"Hello, dear Kristin!" Dr. James Blackwell gave her a big bear hug, which she gratefully returned along with a smile. He shifted his glasses as he let her go.

"It's so good to see you, Jim! I'd like for you to meet Lucas Wolenczak." Lucas smiled politely, extending his hand. Dr. Blackwell looked at it for a brief moment before engulfing Lucas in a big bear hug of his own.

"Let's put aside the formalities...any friend of Kristin's is a friend of mine. Besides, I saw your resume and I have a feeling you two are exactly the people we need to help us on this project. Welcome to MarVista." He looked back at Kristin. "I have a driver waiting to take you to your hotel in about an hour but first I wanted to show you a quick look around the lab if that's alright."

"Thank you, Jim. That would be lovely." She turned back to Krieg.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Krieg. I suppose we'll meet back here on Sunday?"

"I'll be here to pick you both up on Sunday at 1500 hours sharp." He nodded courteously and started walking back to the launch.

"Good." She went over to a corner of the room to drop her bag off and proceeded to chat with Blackwell. Just as Lucas was about to follow her, Krieg called him over quietly near the launch as he was going down the hatch. He spoke to Lucas almost in a whisper.

"Hey kid, I know you're going to have a big hotel room to yourself and there will more than likely be some pretty, young females at the conference. Just...be careful okay? You need one of these? You know, in case _stupid_ wins?" He sneakily reached into his pocket and revealed a handful of small square packets. Lucas blushed over thirty different shades of red, looking over at Dr. Westphalen, who was deep in conversation with Blackwell and unaware of his and Krieg's exchange.

"Uh, Krieg...thanks, but...I highly doubt anything will happen. I'm not the one-night stand type. Plus, I'll probably have the Doc looking over me like a hawk." He let out an uncomfortable, heavy sigh. "Besides..." He reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled two square pockets of his own, secretly showing them to Krieg.

"Atta boy...I taught you well." Krieg retorted with a soft punch on his shoulder and smiled as Lucas walked away with a wave goodbye.

Krieg sighed and kept his trek into the launch. "Ugh...they grow up so fast." He sat at the cockpit and proceeded to return back to SeaQuest.


	2. Chapter 2

_Back at MarVista_:

Dr. Blackwell walked Kristin and Lucas to a nearby computer.

"Before we begin, I have to enter you into our system so that you can have access. Standard procedure. Fingerprints, pictures and whatnot." He held up an attached hand scanner.

"Yes of course." Kristin nodded as he punched a few codes.

"Kristin, you first. Go ahead an place your hand on there while I take your picture." He had her place her hand on the pad which scanned her hand twice. He also help up a small camera attached to the computer. In just a few seconds the screen showed a file on Kristin with her picture and hand prints visible. A badge with a barcode instantly printed out and Blackwell attached one of the lanyards to it, handing it to Kristin. "Wear this while you are here at the lab. We have to keep records of who goes in and out." She nodded in agreement as she placed the lanyard around her neck.

"Your turn, Mr. Wolenczak." Lucas followed the same procedure, loving how official it all seemed.

"Okay with that out of the way, may I offer you anything before I show you around?"

Kristin spoke up. "I don't suppose we could trouble you to use the restrooms and maybe grab some waters?"

"Of course! Please! Oh, and allow me to grab your bags and take them to the entrance so you don't have to carry them around. Johnson here will show you to the cafeteria and restrooms. We'll meet back here when you are done."

"Thank you, Jim." He took Lucas' duffle bag, Kristin's suitcase and both their laptop briefcases and walked off to another section of the lab while the two left with Johnson.

Just a few minutes later they were walking through the laboratory, showing Lucas and Kristin some of their setups.

"This place looks unbelievable since last time I was here, Jim. You're going to have to give me pointers on how you've managed to secure this much funding."

Dr. Blackwell chuckled nervously. "Well it's not a big secret. You know the only way to secure funding these days is to sell your soul to the Devil himself."

They laughed, knowing how hard it is to get any sort of research money for their own projects. Kristin was about to continue the conversation when they reached a secure door with a bright red light over it, along with a barcode and handprint scanner next to it and a live camera shot of whoever was in front of the door.

"Ah, here we are. You must scan your hands and barcodes before we go in here."

Kristin marveled at the security levels at this lab as she followed the procedure and motioned for Lucas to do the same. As they each were scanned, the screen showing them blocked them out, leaving only unscanned people visible on camera. Once Blackwell scanned his code and hand, the light over the door turned green and unlocked.

Lucas gave Kristin a look. "Very cool." She smiled at him wide-eyed, clearly conveying she agreed with him. Inside, the room looked like a normal laboratory setup, with the exception of a large, tightly sealed 100-gallon tank filled with a few small fish, some coral and plant life at one end of the room.

"This is my pride and joy...I call him Murray." Both Kristin and Lucas looked around the tank but couldn't see what he meant.

Blackwell noticed and pointed right at a small bump on on of the coral near a crevice, seemingly a camouflaged octopus of some sort.

He undid the locks on the hinge above the tank, allowing the top to hinge back and allow access into the water. Then he grabbed the handle of a small fish-net and proceeded to prod the creature. Suddenly it flattened and changed color, showing incredibly vivid neon blue rings lined in black all along his body in defense.

"No way! Is that a blue-ring octopus? "

"Yes it is."

"Wait, aren't they poisonous?" Lucas asked in shock.

"Technically, they are venomous. This little one is on the verge of losing his, actually. The venom doesn't last very long when they are in captivity since there's no need for it. But we've managed to find a way to extract the venom and grow it ourselves. We made our own gel mixed with growth factors and added stem cells."

Kristin spoke up, impressed but concerned. "You _didn't_.That's unbelievable. So you reproduced the bacteria from the salivary glands?"

Jim nodded sheepishly. "Essentially, but with a few modifications."

"But...why, Jim?"

Blackwell seemed reluctant to say anything and shrugged his shoulders. "Scientific curiosity, I suppose? We figured it would be a useful method for developing anti-venom." Kristin gauged his response and worried that he was hiding something.

"You do realize that if this were to fall into the wrong hands...Jim, the idea of biological warfare..."

Blackwell stopped her immediately. "Of course we've taken that into account. I have been very selective with my staff. I would trust no one else on this project. Which is why I was hoping you could help me."

The way he said that made Kristin wonder if there was more to the story. Lucas spoke up curiously. "Doc, do people actually live from a blue-ring octopus bite?"

Kristin answered. "Well, the octopus itself isn't aggressive nor does it target humans. Only if it is worst part of the venom is the neurotoxin, Tetrodotoxin, which blocks the sodium channels in the motor nerves. It basically causes paralysis of major organs, so anyone who's been injected has their muscles shut down, including the heart. So the lungs don't get the oxygenated blood they need and the person asphyxiates to death. That is, unless they get immediate respiratory assistance...you _could _survive as long as you are on an automated ventilator while the venom gets metabolized and leaves the body. But there is no official antivenom for it and it happens so quickly. I guarantee it is _not_ a pleasant experience. This is one of the most venomous creatures in the sea, or on Earth for that matter." She turned back to Blackwell. "I don't believe in messing with nature's balance. Studying it, yes...using it for good, perhaps...but certainly not altering it. This seems like a dangerous line to cross, Jim."

His obviously nervous answer worried her. "Oh Kristin, you are so smart and ever the morally conscious medical doctor. I assure you, I have everything under control. Please consider my offer for collaboration. But it's important that neither of you mention this to anyone or I may lose my funding. This work isn't published yet and is technically considered classified."

"Of course." Kristin and Lucas nodded in agreement.

Blackwell continued quickly. "Look, we can talk more about this another time. I know you must be getting settled in and checked into your hotel for the conference." Something about his behavior raised red flags in Kristin's mind but he was a trusted friend. He continued, seemingly wanting to change the subject. "What time is your talk tomorrow?"

"My talk is at noon."

"Excellent! I will be there with a front row seat and perhaps we can figure out a time to meet in the lab. I was _so_ happy to hear from you letting me know you would be in town this weekend. You have no idea what a joy it is to see you again...you know, under happier circumstances."

Kristin smiled sympathetically, remembering how devastated he had been at his wife's funeral when she last saw him two years ago. He continued the chat, hoping to change the subject immediately.

"Anyway, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow and we can figure out the details for our next meeting."

Kristin nodded, wanting to keep the mood jovial and noticing he would rather not speak anymore of his late wife. "Yes of course, that would be lovely."

They were escorted to the entrance where the driver was waiting for them with their bags already in the back. A few parting hugs later they were on the way to to convention center.

_At the Crystal Cove Convention Center, on the eastern coast of Florida: _

Kristin and Lucas checked into their rooms in the lobby and walked together to the elevator.

"I'm in 1232. What about you?" Lucas asked curiously.

"1238. Just a few doors down." She smiled, knowing the teen was excited to be on his own. As they went in the elevator and approached their rooms she looked over at him. "I don't know about you but I'm a bit hungry. How about we drop off our stuff and grab a quick dinner downstairs? I hate having meals by myself."

"Sounds great."

They sat at the hotel restaurant, taking bites of their sandwiches as they spoke.

"So, this guy Blackwell seems nice. They've got the place pretty well secured."

"Yes, he's a dear old friend. Last time I saw him was, unfortunately, for his wife's funeral a couple of years ago. She died in a car accident."

"Oh that's what he meant...yikes, poor guy."

Kristin nodded. "I hadn't spoke to him in a while but he did say to stop by if I was ever in town. He's certainly done well for himself, though. That lab looked completely different from the last time I was there." Kristin looked like she was trying to solve a puzzle in her head.

"Doc, you ok?"

"Sorry, I just can't believe he's done this. He used to focus more on octopus behavioral studies like camouflage and intelligence. Genetic manipulations and venom work just seem a tad out of character." She looked back at Lucas. "Did he seem nervous to you?"

"Well, not moreso than I would expect from someone with that much responsibility letting two outsiders into a room with one of the deadliest creatures in the ocean. But, I suppose you know him better than I do." He smiled somewhat sarcastically.

"Hmm...good point. Maybe that's all it was." She decided to let it go as they finished the last of their sandwiches and started walking back to their rooms. "I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a nice, big bed tonight."

He chuckled in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. As much as I like my bunk on SeaQuest, it'll be good to stretch out for a change."

"Good night, Lucas. Feel free to call or knock on my door if you need anything. And check the schedule for tomorrow to see if there are any topics you think might be worthwhile."

"I will. Good night, Doc."

They went into their respective rooms, ready to unwind and get ready for the next day's events.

The next morning, she and Lucas attended several talks in the conference room and grabbed lunch before Kristin was scheduled to deliver her presentation on a new method for filtration. As they finished eating, she looked over her notes and slideshow presentation.

"Lucas, can you help me with this? For some reason my slideshow has just started advancing by itself and I seem to have lost control of it."

Lucas shifted the laptop back to face him and played around with the program. She looked closely at him as he worked. She had been worried that everyone here would be too old for him, but she was relieved when she noticed him earlier chatting with a young and pretty research assistant after a presentation on data science. Hearing him talk about the complexities of machine learning and statistical analysis in such depth made her forget he was only sixteen years old. He needed some more normal teen interactions for a change. After a few clicks of the keyboard, he handed the laptop back to her with a smile.

"There you go, Doc. You had the automatic play button triggered."

Kristin sighed in relief. "Thank you, Lucas. _What _would I do without you?" She gave him a big, appreciate hug which he gratefully returned. In reality, she knew what was going on in the program and could have easily fixed it herself, but this moment was worth more to her than her pride.

_Meanwhile, at MarVista Laboratory_:

Dr. James Blackwell looked at his watch. There was still time to make it to Kristin's talk. He let out a deep sigh, wondering how he let himself get involved with this. _You were weak. You'd just lost Marlene. You let money and funding get the best of you_. They were all valid reasons, but now he was in over his head and his conscience was suffering. He'd have to tell Kristin everything. Surely the SeaQuest could help in this predicament. It seemed serendipitous that she would be in town right when he was beginning to try and think of a way out. At that moment he walked out of the high security door and found himself face to face with a bald, muscled and bearded man flanked by two other strong-looking men. One of them held the door open.

"Hello Dr. Blackwell."

"Carlos...what are you doing here? I was...just about to call you." He made a concerted effort to keep his voice calm.

"It seems you've invited some people to the lab that were not originally part of the plan, Jim."

"Well, it's a dear old friend who happened to be in town. Surely you can expect me to be hospitable and show them around."

"And why are they suddenly in the security system for this room? Something tells me you gave them a more extensive tour. Did you happen to tell them anything while they were here?"

They slowly led Blackwell back into the secure room and closed the door behind them.

"I swear...I didn't say anything. They study ocean creatures...they don't know anything about the project! I swear to you!" He was getting more and more nervous as to why the three of them would show up to the lab unannounced.

"Here's the problem, though. Our boss seems to think you're getting a bit of cold feet. We always knew your sense of morality would be your downfall. And since you've been acquainted with people from the _SeaQuest_, I'm afraid we can no longer partake of your services. You've become a liability. I'm sorry."

Carlos grabbed the box from Jim's hands and placed it on a nearby desk while the other two men grabbed his arms behind his back. Jim tried struggling to break free.

"No! What are you doing?"

Carlos put a pair of large padded gloves that were on the table next to the blue ring tank and started to open the top latch. He grabbed a net and proceeded to pick up the blue ring octopus from its home, taking care to avoid any skin contact as he did so. He menacingly walked over to Blackwell, holding the octopus within inches of his neck.

"Such a shame you've gotten your friends involved now as well. I really hate having to clean up after other people's mistakes."

"No! Please! You don't need to do this! They know nothing!"

"Goodbye Jim."

He held the octopus trapped down onto Blackwell's neck under the net, waiting for the animal to instinctively bite. He prodded it a few times while Blackwell tried his best to escape but the men kept a strong hold on him.

"Please! Don't..."

Within a few seconds he let out an anguished cry as he felt the excruciating bite that would lead to his certain death. He could feel the venom as it made its way through his veins, attacking his organs, knowing that in only a few seconds he would be lying helpless on the floor unable to move and taking his last few breaths.

The two men let his arms go and let him drop unceremoniously to the floor, the paralysis starting to take effect. As Blackwell lay there dying, Carlos carefully placed the blue ring in a smaller, transportable tank and latched it closed.

"Cortez, pick up all the evidence in here. Wallace, use your computer smarts to transfer the files and fix the security tapes." Both of the men nodded and got to work. One of them moved to the security computer and punched in a few codes while the other emptied the room.

Seconds later Wallace spoke up worriedly.

"Jim, where are the files?"

Blackwell looked nervous but couldn't respond, his breathing becoming shallower and shallower as he found it difficult to move. Wallace continued, facing the other two. "He's deleted the files. Everything...it's all gone."

"Cortez, what about the hardcopy data?"

Cortez looked up from searching an empty cabinet. "It's not here, sir."

Carlos turned back to Jim, just seconds away from his death.

"Jim, what have you done? Where is all the data?" Carlos was visibly upset as he continued. Jim struggled to smile as he let out a labored whisper. "Go...to...Hell."

Carlos smacked his hand on the floor next to Blackwell's motionless body in frustration.

Cortez spoke up. "Now what do we tell the Boss?"

Carlos responded. "Let's get what we can and get out of here. Surely there must be a way to recover all that work. Wallace, what's the status on getting out of here?"

"I've deleted the security video and logs and made it a blank loop. No one is shown to have gone into the lab today and we have 10 minutes before the loop ends to get out."

Cortez spoke up holding a small wooden box latched closed. "This is all I could find. Not sure if it's the latest samples or what."

"That'll have to do for now. Now, help me move him and let's go report back. I have a feeling the boss is going to want to take care of the other two as well."

The men picked up Blackwell's semi-conscious form as he lay in a state of paralysis, feeling his life's oxygen slowly fading. _Forgive me, Kristin._


	3. Chapter 3

_Back at Crystal Cove Convention Center:_

Kristin delivered her presentation without a hitch and even had some interesting questions from the audience at the end. After the applause, the lights came back on and she and Lucas started packing up. Lucas spoke up. "I'm surprised Dr. Blackwell wasn't here." She nodded in return. "Yes, I noticed that. He must have gotten caught up at work. I'm sure we'll hear from him later."

A man in a grey suit with dark brown hair, thick eyebrows and steely blue eyes in his late forties eagerly came up to them.

"Excuse me, Doctor Westphalen?" She looked up from her laptop bag and gave him a welcoming smile. She enjoyed it when people came up to her after talks to ask more questions and this man was very good looking. She thought he looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alexander Shaw." He flashed her a big smile. Lucas looked at him wide-eyed and responded.

"Wait, THE Alexander Shaw? From Shaw Industries?"

"Guilty as charged. " He smiled and held up his hands in defeat, seemingly embarrassed to admit it. "And you are?"

"Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak." He reached out his hand, which Shaw shook pleasantly.

"Wolenczak? I assume you are related to Lawrence Wolenczak?"

"Yep, that's my dad."

"Wow. Well, your father is a brilliant man. I've been following his World Power Project for a while now...that's a hell of an idea...one that will surely revolutionize the world."

"Thanks, yeah, I guess we're all hoping for the best." Shaw turned his attention back to Kristin.

"Might I say, Doctor, that was a fantastic talk. I've heard about you and your work on _SeaQuest. F_orgive me for saying so, but I must admit I wasn't expecting you to look the way you do...I mean most scientists are um...but _you're_ so...um..." He looked her up and down but stopped himself before he said anything embarrassing and cleared his throat. "I mean...you are obviously smart and passionate about the ocean. To be honest, I didn't realize there was someone out there who could make sponge filtration sound so _exciting_." All three had a laugh at that.

Kristin found him quite charming and blushed lightly. "Well, I appreciate the compliment. And yes we _are_ very excited about the future possibilities."

"We most certainly _are,_ doctor." He gave her a pointed look as he said that, leaving little doubt in Lucas' mind that he was totally flirting with the Doc.

Shaw looked at his watch. "I really wish I could stay and chat longer but I have some business to attend to. It was very nice to finally meet you." He started to walk off but paused and turned around, walking back to them. "Um...I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but if I may be so bold to ask if you are free for dinner tonight, doctor?" He added nervously.

Kristin was a little shocked at the invitation and looked at Lucas hesitantly. "Well, I..."

Lucas interrupted her immediately to answer Shaw. "Yeah, she's free." He looked at her with a smile and gently nudged her back without anyone else noticing.

Shaw looked at Kristin to confirm and she nodded hesitantly. "Yes, alright. I suppose dinner would be fine."

Shaw let out a relieved sigh. "Wonderful. I'll meet you at 7 just outside at the entrance. Here's my card in case you need to reach me." He pulled out a business card and grabbed a pen from his pocket to quickly write a phone number down. "My personal cel." He added with a smile and a wink as he gently reached for Kristin's hand, pulling it close to him, pressing a light kiss to her fingers as he slipped the card in her hand smoothly and let go.

As soon as he walked off and the room was empty, Kristin let out a breath and Lucas started giggling.

"No way, Doc! _No way_ did you just get asked out by a rich guy. That was a real smooth move with the card, too...I'm going to have to take notes."

She looked back at him in disbelief. "I can't believe that just happened." She looked down at the business card still in her hand.

"Man, this is like out of a movie or something. Hey, if you marry him, can I have a room at your mansion?"

"Lucas! Don't be ridiculous. I don't even _know_ him."

"_Yet_." Lucas added.

"Yet." She conceded. "Besides, he probably just wants to talk about my research."

"I don't know, Doc. I got the feeling he wants to do _more_ than just talk and it's not necessarily your research he was interested in. The guy gets women throwing themselves at him all the time."

"Well, he's in for quite a shock. I am _not_ that type of woman...and I don't usually go out with famous playboys." She paused for a moment. _He was quite handsome_, she thought. "But I suppose one dinner is harmless."

Kristin and Lucas attended a few other talks and decided to go back to their rooms at around six in order for her to get ready. She hadn't really packed for going out, but managed to dress up her favorite navy blue skirt suit with a pearl necklace and her hair in a loose ponytail. She quickly grabbed her cel phone and dialed Dr. Blackwell's number. The line went immediately to voicemail.

"Hey Jim, it's Kristin. I hope all is well, I was hoping you'd make it to the talk but I assume you've been busy at work today. Just wanted to check in and seeing if you were still up to meet tomorrow. Give me a call when you get a chance. Talk to you soon."

She hung up and put the phone away in her purse as she walked over to Lucas' door and knocked. He opened the door and grinned. "Wow, you look like you're about to go to a realtor's meeting. Very professional."

Kristin rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha...well, I didn't exactly pack for a night out."

He giggled jokingly. "I'm just messing with you. You look great, Doc."

"Thank you. Are you sure you're going to be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I promise I'll behave. Maybe I'll put on a movie and order room service or something."

Kristin smiled inwardly, thinking back on Nathan's comment about ice cream.

"Just please stay here until I come back. I'll check in with you soon after dinner...perhaps we can..."

Lucas interrupted her. "Come on, Doc. Live a little. Enjoy yourself...have dinner, have a few drinks...whatever. You don't have to check in with me. How about we plan to meet up in the lobby tomorrow at 9am. Oh and just a bit of advice...you should let your hair down and unbutton your shirt a bit." He added with a snarky grin as he closed the door, leaving Kristin wide-eyed in shock and wondering if he meant what she thought he did.

"Cheeky." She'd have to have a talk with him about crossing boundaries. She walked towards the elevator and looked at herself in the mirror while she waited. _Ugh...he's right, you need to loosen up, _she thought as she unpinned her hair and undid the top three buttons on her jacket, adjusting the blouse underneath until she was satisfied with the overall look.

When she walked out of the hotel lobby, she immediately spotted the limousine. Alex was there in a navy blue suit and a single red rose in his hand. _Charming, indeed_. It's been too long since she went on a date. _Here goes nothing._

_Back in Lucas' hotel room_:

Lucas couldn't help but grin at the thought of the Doc going out on a date with a famous rich guy. Of all the things to happen during a boring work conference. He started looking at the room service menu when his laptop made a beeping sound, indicating an incoming call. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hey Cap!"

Bridger smiled back at him. "Hey Lucas, just wanted to check in you two. How's the conference going?"

"Great, the Doc's presentation went really well. In fact, she seems to have caught the eye of no other than Alexander Shaw from Shaw Industries."

Nathan looked confused. "Shaw? What do you mean, caught his eye?"

"I _mean _she is currently out on a date with a multi-millionaire who seemed very interested in more than just her work."

This caught Bridger off guard. "Really?" He knew of Shaw's reputation from various tabloids, but never in a million years would he have thought Kristin would fall for it. "That seems unlike her. And she left you alone in the hotel?"

"I know, Cap. But I swear, it's fine. In fact, I made her agree to it. She wouldn't have said yes otherwise. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I promised I'd be on my best behavior here in the room. She'll probably be back before I finish my movie. You know her, she'd never be out late, especially knowing I am here."

Nathan still felt uneasy. "True. And what about Dr. Blackwell? Any updates on that?"

"He was supposed to be at the Doc's talk but he wasn't there. We figured he must have gotten busy with something. But I think she mentioned visiting him tomorrow afternoon."

_Back in the limousine:_

"You look wonderful, doctor." Shaw handed her the rose and reached for the back of her hand, giving it a light kiss.

"Thank you, Mr. Shaw. And please, call me Kristin."

"Alright, but only if you call me Alex."

"It's a deal, Alex."

"Excellent. Okay, then, I hope you like seafood. We are headed to a lovely little place with an ocean view not too far from here."

Soon afterwards they were at the back door entrance of a different hotel along the beach.

"I hope you don't mind we go in through the back, I don't like to make grand entrances. This is kind of my own private elevator."

"Of course, that's understandable." She nodded.

He walked her to the elevator and placed a key next to the button for the 50th floor. Moments later, the elevator arrived at the top floor. They stepped off and into a beautifully decorated enclosed terrace with a table for two overlooking the ocean with floor to ceiling windows. At that moment a server walked in from a side door with a bottle of champagne, which he uncorked and poured into two glasses on the table. He placed the bottle in the chiller next to the table and held out one of the chairs in expectation. He held out his arm for Kristin to hold and led her to the table, where the server helped her be seated and placed the napkin over her lap. He walked away almost as quickly as he came in. Alex looked at Kristin with an amused smile as she took in the scene. Light piano music played in the background and the soft lighting was just low enough to see a clear view outside of the eastern Florida coastline.

"I hope I haven't scared you off. This is one of the top restaurants in the area and I have my own table tucked away from the crowds. I don't like to be hounded on my nights out."

She chuckled a bit. "Well, I must admit I was not expecting a private dinner but this is quite lovely, thank you."

"Excellent. Then let's have a lovely dinner and get to know each other a bit better, shall we?"

He lifted his champagne glass and she responded by tapping hers to his, both taking a sip of their champagne.

"So Kristin, tell me a little more about yourself. I've read quite a bit of your background, but to be honest, you don't strike me as the military type. How did you get to be on the SeaQuest?"

She chuckled out loud at that comment. "No...I most certainly am not the military type. Well, I suppose having degrees in oceanography and marine biology, in addition to being a medical doctor, had something to do with it. When the position became available, I seemed to be a good match. And the idea of being on the largest research and exploration vessel was very appealing. I liked the sense of adventure...charting unknown trenches, exploring new creatures, that sort of thing. Plus, my daughter had just moved out of college into her own place so I had nothing holding me back."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. Have I scared _you_ off yet?"

He chuckled. "Believe me, I do _not_ scare easily."

"Hmmm, my ex-husbands used to say that. Don't worry, I'll find _some_ way to scare you, too." She smiled jokingly as she sipped some more of her drink.

"Ooof. Beautiful, smart _and_ a good sense of humor. I may be in over my head with you." He paused appreciatively, causing her to blush as he continued.

"So what brought you to Florida?"

"Well, of course we had the conference to attend but I was also visiting someone."

"Oh, like family? Friend? Colleague?"

"An old friend who wants to be a colleague, I suppose. Apparently he has a project he'd like my help with."

"Oh neat. So it would involve you coming to Florida more often, wouldn't it?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

She chuckled. "Well...I haven't really decided yet."

"Well, hopefully you'll find that you have more incentive to come back."

Kristin paused midway through her sip, unsure of how to take the suggestion. He noticed her hesitation and chuckled.

"I'm kidding...though you can hardly blame a guy for trying." He shrugged his shoulders as he continued. "So, I hope you like calamari cause they make it very fresh here and it's my favorite thing to eat."

The pleasant conversation kept on throughout the entire delicious meal, and Kristin couldn't help but think he was very sweet. As they finished up their dessert, Shaw looked pensively at her.

"So Kristin, I have to ask...I assume you've probably heard of my reputation."

"Well, I am not one to judge, but I know enough to tell you that I am probably not the sort..."

He interrupted her before she could finish. "Of course you aren't...you've only heard what the press has shared. Look, I'll level with you." He grabbed her hand gently and placed his other hand on top.

"I happen think you're a very smart and attractive woman. I find you absolutely fascinating. The truth is it's been a while since I've had an intelligent conversation with someone. Most of those bimbo girls just throw themselves at me and want a taste of the rich life for one night but despite what you may think of me, it's not really who I am. " He smiled sincerely and gently squeezed her hand. "How about...before we call it a night, I show you something else? I think it's something you'll really like."

Kristin felt flattered at his confession. It's been a while since she had a man pay this much attention or compliment her. Lately she had hoped Nathan would return her advances but he was so distant at times and she wasn't really sure if he'd be ready for a relationship. _Have some fun, Kristin._

"I suppose I _could_ stay out a _little _longer. I do need to get back and make sure Lucas is alright."

"Excellent. It's actually just downstairs. I own the 49th floor penthouse here."

He smiled at the look of shock on her face. He reached out for her and led her to the stairwell door next to the elevator. They went down one flight of stairs and he placed his hand on a keypad next to the door. A green light shone overhead and the door unlocked.

"Fascinating security measures. It's funny my friend's lab had similar technology."

"Oh really? Yeah, I own 45% of the company that developed this particular series. They're doing pretty well, I must say...bidding for several government contracts."

He led her into the space which opened up to an ample living room complete with a large white sectional couch in front of a 20-foot gray area rug and a modern wall-mounted slate and glass electric fireplace. Behind the couch there was a bar set up with four stools and a wall full of different liquor and wine bottles in a colorful array. Along the opposite wall were floor to ceiling windows and corridor presumably leading towards the bedrooms. But what struck Kristin the most was the enormous saltwater aquarium built into the wall across from the couch. It had to be at least a thousand gallons. She walked slowly to it.

"This is absolutely stunning, Alex."

"I hoped you would like it. But let me show you my favorite part." He pressed a button on the wall, which instantly dimmed the overall room lights, turned on the fireplace and made the aquarium shine brighter in various shades of LED lights. He walked behind the bar area.

"May I offer you a white or red wine?"

"Red, please." She didn't take her eyes off the tank.

He appeared moments later with a wine glass, handing it to her as he held one of his own.

"Thank you." She took a small sip and continued to stare at all the different fish in the tank. At that moment, a light buzz sounded and he reached into his pocket for his phone.

"Excuse me for a moment. I have to take this." He placed his glass down and walked around the corner to take the call. Kristin stayed enthralled by the aquarium, sipping at her wine as she took in the different species. Less than two minutes later he walked back smiling.

"Sorry about that, my secretary needed to inform me of an important detail for a meeting tomorrow. There shouldn't be any more interruptions." He smiled as he clinked his glass with hers and led her to sit down at the couch next to him.

He noticed she was staring at the tank the whole time. "Did you see anything in particular you liked?"

Kristin couldn't hold back the smile on her face.

"You've got a fairy wrasse and a red sea purple tang! And was that a Peppermint Angelfish I saw?"

"You certainly know your fish. I'm impressed" He chuckled amused. "Yes, I was in the Pacific not too long ago. We met some local divers who had caught a few of these...the Peppermint Angelfish had a fairly large wound when I saw it so I bought it and had my people rehabilitate it. I don't think it would have made it in the wild. I couldn't just leave it there. You see, I have a weakness for rare and exotic beauty."

Kristin looked at him, wondering about his intentions. Without breaking eye contact he reached for her wine glass and put it gently on the coffee table next to them. He then leaned close to her face and slowly reached his hand to her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb as he softly pressed his lips against hers, waiting and willing for her to return the kiss.

Kristin was not surprised that he would make a move, and actually welcomed it, parting her lips slightly as she enjoyed the electric contact between them and let him guide her back all the way on the couch. _Better not let this go too far, though._

After what seemed like a few minutes of heavy kissing, Kristin moaned in apprehension and broke off the kiss, sighing as she recovered her thoughts.

"Alex, this has been an absolutely lovely night but it's too much, too soon. I apologize if you got the wrong impression of me, but I most certainly am not the type who moves this quickly."

Alex looked down at her with a smile. "Oh I knew that from the start. But I couldn't help myself from wanting to go as far with you as you were willing to allow me." He chuckled and sat up, helping her sit up as well. "I respect that. I really do. And I certainly don't want to scare you off." He paused. "So...when do you have to go back to your sub?"

"Sunday." She looked down at her hands, suddenly feeling awkward for letting things get so far. "I'm underwater for at least 3 months at a time. It's not exactly an ideal situation for me."

"I understand. But you should know I'm not one to back down from a challenge. I'm a risk-taker by nature, Kristin. And I'd like to take a risk with you, if that's alright." He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek.

She smiled appreciatively. "You really are just _oozing_ with charm, aren't you? Look, I am flattered but I really must get going. I still have some presentations to attend tomorrow and I told Lucas I'd meet him for breakfast."

"Perfect. Why don't I join you two for lunch then...if that's alright?"

"I guess that would be fine. I feel like Lucas wanted to get to know you more as well. He seems to consider you a bit of an idol."

He chuckled out loud. "_Ha_! Well, I don't want to be a bad influence but the kid's got good taste...and if he's anything like his father, he's destined for greatness."

Kristin smiled in agreement. _Well, hopefully not all like his father,_she thought to herself. "Yes, he is a brilliant boy indeed."

"Well, I guess I'd better see about getting you back to your hotel."

When they got back to the hotel, he walked her towards the elevator up to her floor and to her room.

"I wish this night didn't have to end so soon." He raised his eyebrows hopefully.

"I had a wonderful time, Alex. I really did. How about we meet tomorrow around noon?" She smiled.

"You bet I'll be there." He leaned in for a deeply passionate kiss, gently nudging her against the door to her hotel room. They were lip-locked for a few moments, completely oblivious to a door opening down the hall. Lucas was in pajamas and had an ice bucket and a few dollar bills in hand. He looked over at the couple making out and smiled. He cleared his throat. Both Kristin and Alex stopped kissing and looked over at Lucas, Kristin instantly turning five shades of red as she straightened up and tried to look more professional in front of him.

"Good evening Lucas."

"Hey Doc. Sorry I was just about to get some ice and some stuff from the vending machine down the hall." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Alex took the opportunity to speak up. "Kristin, it's been an absolute pleasure spending the evening with you, but I believe that would be my cue to go." She nodded silently with a smile as he turned towards Lucas.

"Mr. Wolenczak, I would very much like to join you both for lunch tomorrow if that's alright with you."

Lucas looked genuinely thrilled. "Yeah, that uh...that'd be great." He smiled innocently.

"Good, cause Kristin had already said yes." Alex smiled as he turned back to Kristin. "I'll see you tomorrow." He gently reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the back of it before parting and smiling at both of them as he walked away towards the elevator. Once he was out of view, Lucas smiled hugely at Kristin.

"Soooo?" He wanted to know all the details.

"_Soooo_..." She replied, matter of factly. "You weren't meant to see any of that. I had a lovely time." She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Did you have a good dinner?"

"I ordered in some pizza from downstairs and watched a documentary on sharks. Not quite as exciting as your night, I take it. So when's the big day?"

"Oh Lucas, stop with it. I barely know him. He was a perfect gentleman and I am back at the hotel within a reasonable hour and nothing...serious...happened between us. It was just...a nice first date, I suppose."

"Mmmhmmm. Okay. So stupid _didn't_ win tonight." He mumbled amusedly to himself without her hearing.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I meant...so you plan on going out with him tomorrow night as well?"

"Well, I don't want to deprive you of my company another night. I suppose we'll see how things go. But for now, we had better get to bed. Goodnight, Lucas."

"Goodnight, Doc." He smiled knowingly as she sheepishly went back into her room.

Kristin got ready for bed wondering what in the world had just happened. She had a wonderful time with Alex, but this wasn't like her at all. She was here at a conference with Lucas, trying to set a good example for the young man.

She double checked her messages. No call back from Jim, which was very strange. Surely he would have contacted her by now.

_The next morning: _

As Kristin crossed the lobby to where she was going to meet Lucas for breakfast, she saw he wasn't alone. Nathan was also sitting next to him, and they were chatting. As soon as they saw her, they immediately got up to say hello.

"Nathan! What are _you_ doing here?" She asked in shock as they embraced.

"Well, the _SeaQuest_ ran into some trouble with the internal security system. Since we were close and didn't have any pressing missions, the UEO had us dock nearby so they could take a look at it. Ford and Crocker are taking the first shift and I go back on the launch later today to check on their progress. I figured I had some free time to stop by. Would you mind if I joined you for breakfast and perhaps attend a talk or two?"

"Not at all." The three took their seats at the breakfast buffet area after loading up their plates.

Nathan spoke up. "So, I hear your talk went well...and considering the conference ends today anyway I was wondering if I could take Lucas with me back to the ship to run some diagnostics afterwards. Didn't you say the two of you were going to meet with this Blackwell guy?"

"Oh, well I suppose that would be fine. Dr. Blackwell actually didn't get back to me about a time to meet so I suppose if he asks to meet later I can tell him Lucas was called away. It's not a big deal."

Lucas smiled knowingly. "And, it'll give the Doc a chance to hang out with her new _boyfriend_."

"Lucas!" Kristin muttered under her breath, annoyed that he would mention Alex in front of Nathan.

"Ah, yes. The illustrious Alexander Shaw. Very impressive." Nathan looked at her quizzically as Kristin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You heard about that."

"Lucas mentioned he showed up at your talk and you two seemed to have...hit it off."

"Nathan..." He stopped her and held up his hands in mock defeat.

"Hey what you do on your own time is none of my business. Though I'll admit he doesn't strike me as your type."

Just as Kristin was about to respond, her phone rang. Annoyed, she took it out of her purse. The number was not familiar to her but she answered, hoping maybe it was Jim.

"Hello?"

"Kristin, hi it's Alex."

Her eyes registered her shock. "Oh. Hi Alex." She paused, covering the phone to speak to Nathan and Lucas. "Excuse me for a moment." She walked away continuing the conversation quietly.

Lucas grinned, glad at the progression of his friend's new relationship. But he noticed the captain looking at her, seemingly not amused to see her giggle quietly in the corner. _Not amused? Or just jealous? This could get interesting,_ Lucas thought.

As Kristin came back she sat back down to face her breakfast companions, she noticed they were staring at her blankly.

"What?"

"What was that all about?" Nathan asked cautiously.

"I thought you said that what I do on my own time was none of your business." She retorted sarcastically, taking a sip of her orange juice and continuing with her meal as if nothing had happened. Lucas held back a chuckle, and the three dismissed the conversation to talk about other things.

They attended a few other talks until the conference was over at 11:30. As they were grabbing some waters, Nathan's PAL unit chirped.

"Bridger here." He answered.

"Sir, we were wondering if you could get back to the ship a bit earlier and bring Lucas with you. We're trying to figure out some software issues due to the security breach. They've got a few people working on it but there's a firewall they can't seem to break. We thought maybe Lucas could help."

Lucas perked up, looking forward to being of assistance. He smiled and nodded.

"Copy that, Commander. I have Lucas here with me. Have a launch meet us at the dock in half an hour."

"Aye, sir."

Nathan turned to Lucas.

"Lucas, go grab your stuff from your room so you can check out and meet me back here in 10 minutes."

Lucas went to do what he was told but stopped right next to Kristin for a moment. "Have fun at your lunch with _Alex._" Lucas purposefully teased her with kissy noises as he walked away. Kristin sighed and rolled her eyes as Lucas retreated back to his room. Nathan decided best to hold his tongue on the matter.

"Kristin, I hate to also cut _your_ trip short, but since we _are _docked here until tonight, it would save us a launch trip tomorrow if we were to pick you up now as well. I don't suppose you can make it on board SeaQuest by later this afternoon?" He was making a reasonable suggestion, but she thought she caught a bit of desperation in his voice.

She nodded, wondering just what it was she sensed from him at the thought that she had another man interested in her. Perhaps saying goodbye to Alex was best after all but she wasn't about to let Nathan know so quickly.

"I understand the situation, Captain, but I _did_ plan on staying one more night so that I may meet up with Dr. Blackwell. I'm going to try and get a hold of him and maybe stop by his lab after lunch. I'm a little worried that he's not returning my calls. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted on my progress and let you know if I can make it later today."

Nathan tried to hide his disappointment at her keeping him in suspense. _You want her to come back now and not go to lunch with whatshisname...admit it._

"Very well." He paused. "Oh and um...be sure to upload your talk to the official UEO database. You know how they are about that sort of thing. "

"I'll make sure and do that. I wouldn't want to keep anyone..._especially_ the UEO...waiting." She smiled innocently, pleased with herself that she didn't appear to eager to follow his request to go back to the boat so quickly.

Lucas arrived moments later and the three said their goodbyes as Lucas and Nathan checked out of the hotel and hailed for a cab.

Kristin looked at her watch. She still had a good twenty minutes before Alex would show up. She opened her laptop and connected to the UEO online portal. She was waiting for her talk to upload into her archives when something caught her eye in her bag. She pulled out a shiny USB stick. _This isn't mine._ She turned it over and saw a handwritten note saying "_From Jim - important_" on the side. He must have put it in my bag when we were touring the lab. Confused, she decided to plug in into her laptop. She clicked on the USB drive and noticed a computer folder inside labeled _Data_ _Files,_ along with a video labeled "Kristin-watch-important." She put her headphones on and plugged them into the jack on her computer. She double clicked on it and the video began playing. It was Blackwell. He was in an unfamiliar location...and he looked distraught.

"Kristin. I don't know when you'll find this video but I needed to do this before anything happens. You have no idea how happy I was to hear that you would be coming. I hope to be able to explain a few things when you get here but I can't do it in the lab. I think they are watching me in there. They are listening...to _everything_. You must understand I never meant to get involved in this line of work. But I was caught at a moment of weakness. Marlene had just died...I needed the funding...and the idea of all this sounded like a good one at the time. I guess I didn't really understand the consequences...that they would use it this way. I don't even know _who_ I'm working for anymore. But now I am beginning to suspect they had something to do with Marlene's death...with many other deaths. You have to listen carefully. This toxin we've been developing was derived from the blue ring octopus but we've manipulated it...it is ten times more deadly...completely untraceable in its victims. It kills within minutes and makes it seem as though the victim died of a heart attack or stroke. It can be ingested or injected and deliver the same results. A rather perfect biological weapon. Once I clued on to what they wanted it was too late. I am only telling you this because I was hoping the _SeaQuest _could bring whoever is behind this to justice. Even if it means I have to sacrifice everything. I am sorry for my involvement. I am taking a great risk in sending you this but I am hoping I can get it to you somehow without being caught. The files are all there so you can use it as evidence but I am destroying everything on my side. I suggest you do the same once you secure them somewhere so it can be held against the people who have done this...including myself. I can no longer live with this guilt. You must not let them access it no matter what. I don't know how much longer I have before they realize what I'm doing. If anything happens to me...well, please just know I am sorry. For everything. Take care of yourself, Kristin."

The recording ended and Kristin sat there, dumbfounded. Harshly aware that she was in a public space, she fought to maintain her composure and think of the possibility that her friend was, in fact, involved in the creation of a biological weapon...and that he was in danger. He could very well have already been killed and that is why he hasn't been responding to her messages. Who are these people? Do they know that she knows? What does she even do with this kind of information? She had to try and get some more answers.


End file.
